Phoenixville Business Owners Plead to Change Dates for Borough Festivals

PHOENIXVILLE, PA — Phoenixville business owners made an impassioned plea at a recent borough council meeting to move the Steel City’s largest festivals from Saturdays to Sundays, alleging that the closed roads and increased foot traffic are bad for business. The council, which had been scheduled to approve the Saturday dates for the food truck festivals for 2017, decided to return the matter to the Parks and Recreation Committee.

“I cannot survive in this atmosphere, and I don’t want to,” said Debbie Pachella, owner of Romantic Jewelers, located in the heart of town on 241 Bridge Street. “How am I supposed to pay rent? How am I supposed to pay the bills?”

Saturday is the most profitable day of the week for businesses like Romantic Jewelers, Pachella argued. And the crowds that swarm the borough for Saturday festivals make it very difficult for her regular customers to gain access to her shop for repairs and pickups. Moreover, she said that the crowds that hit the town for the food truck festival and similar festivals don’t patronize her business.

Nui Kullanna, owner of the Thai L’Elephant, echoed Pachella’s sentiments.

“The food truck festival affects my business tremendously,” she said. “I’d rather close that day.”

The speakers reinforced that they were not against the festival, but just against the Saturday date. Pachella pointed to several other local areas, like Manayunk, Chestnut Hill, Media, West Chester, and Downingtown, which she says hold their major festivals on Sunday instead. Sunday is not a major business day, both Pachella and Kullana emphasized.

“I think it’s unfair the way that people don’t understand that the only way businesses survive is by (customers) coming in and purchasing,” Pachella said. “I don’t get a paycheck.”

Multiple owners focused on the food truck festival dates, as those were the dates originally up for approval, but also mentioned the Christmas parade. They said customers could not find parking, were towed, and that many other business owners were unaware of the dates.

“I’m ready to give up,” Kullana said, close to tears. “I’m just asking you guys to help make this work.”

The proposed dates for the food truck festival were May 6 and October 7, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., both Saturdays. The issue was set to be discussed at the next meeting of the Parks and Recreation Committee before returning for a vote.

Patch file photo.